As the American people's concept¹ of being polite is different from that held here, I'd like to discuss with you the use of "please", "excuse me" and "thank you". I have noticed that the Chinese people use "please" as often as we do on most occasions². But on some occasions they don’t use this word. For instance³, Chinese teachers rarely say "please sit down" when their students have answered their questions and the traffic police here are also not accustomed to using "please" when they are on duty.

美国人对礼貌的概念与中国也有所不同。在这里，我想和你们一起讨论一下"请（please）"、"对不起（excuse me）"和"谢谢（thank you）"的用法。我注意到，在大多数场合，中国人和我们一样常常用"请"这个词，但在某些场合你们又不用。比如，中国教师在他们的学生回答问题后很少说"请坐"，中国的交通警在他们值勤时也不太习惯用"请"这个词。

We say "please pass me the salt" instead of stretching out our arms to reach for it. So don’t forget to say "please" whenever the situation requires it if you are in the United States.

在餐桌上，美国人说"请把盐递给我"，而不是自己伸手去拿。假如你们去美国，那么，当情况需要时可别忘了说"请"。

I believe we say "excuse me" more often and on more occasions than the Chinese people. We say "Excuse me" when we need to pass in front of someone, to leave a party or the dinner table or when we want to excuse ourselves from company or find ourselves late for an appointment and so on.

我相信，美国人说"对不起"的时候要比中国人多得多或更为普遍。当我们要经过某人的面前、要离开宴会或餐桌，或者是当我们要离开同伴（或约会迟到等等）时，我们都要说声"对不起"。

"Thank you" means that you appreciate what someone has done for you, very often very small and most ordinary things. So we in the West thank people all day long.

"谢谢你"意味着你在某人为你做了什么事后表示谢意，那通常是一件无足轻重和极其普通的事情。所以，西方人真是从早到晚谢不离口。